Various disposable and inexpensive cooking utensils, such as pans for use in heating and/or cooking food products, such as hams, roasts, turkeys, etc., have become popular because they are relatively inexpensive and eliminate the need for pan cleaning after the heating and/or cooking of the food product has occurred. Such pans are normally formed of a light or thin gauge material such as aluminum foil. Cooking pans made from aluminum foil have the heat transference qualities associated with the metal aluminum and, yet, because of the minimal amount of metal utilized in the structure, are inexpensive and, consequently, can be disposed of after a single use.
The convenience of having an inexpensive disposable pan by utilizing thin gauge metal, e.g., aluminum foil, is achieved with the attendant factor that the pan has diminished structural strength. One measure of the structural strength of the pan is known as the "pickup" strength. The "pickup" strength may be defined as the maximum weight which can be lifted by the pan prior to complete buckling and collapse of the pan. Thus, thin gauge foil pans are inherently weak and are incapable of carrying heavy loads. Obviously, if the gauge of the metal is increased to increase the structural integrity of the pan, the pan cost will also increase.
To achieve added structural strength without increasing the metal gauge or thickness, it is customary to form ribs of varying sizes and designs in the bottom and side wall of a pan. Also, controlled wrinkles or folds are often incorporated in the side wall, and the lip of the pan is curled or beaded in a variety of ways to increase the overall structural strength of the pan. All of these strength-enhancing features have been generally successful in producing inexpensive disposable foil pans for home cooking. However, additional strengthening means are still desirable in the larger pans such as those used for cooking heavy loads such as roasts, hams, and turkeys.